AlmiraGulch Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I have to, though. I'm eating pretty much Paleo these days, which, for those of you who don't know, means: No refined sugar (and for a few more weeks I'm really limiting, although not completely excluding, all sugars) No grains No legumes except green beans and snap peas No white potatoes (limited in real Paleo, but I'm excluding them entirely for a few more weeks) Limited dairy So, my diet is meat, eggs, fats, a bit of fruit, a ton of veggies, a sprinkle of dairy here and there, if I must. That's it. Please, please, please think of your regular meals and help me think of what to cook. I can make some modifications using almond, coconut, and tapioca flours. For example, last night I made chicken piccata using a seasoned mix of tapioca and almond flours for dredging the chicken, and clarified butter in the sauce. I'm desperate. Please help. I need creative, but not ridiculously complex, ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 when we get in the doldrums, i turn to cooking from other cultures. could you try Indian vegetarian fare? it really is possible to avoid a ton of dairy, it just takes a bit of work. and mexican? maybe try a rotation: sunday beef, monday something with eggs, tuesday something with chicken, wednesday something with eggs, thursday something with pork, friday something with fish, saturday something with whatever meat you like best? then over a month you could come up with four recipes in each category, and then the following month you can just rotate thru them? and then you might find a desire to be creative? and lettuce wraps. lettuce wraps are a big hit. they can be mexican, thai, simple, complex.... i put fillings on a lazy susan on the table and people get to make their own. anything that is "make your own is a hit. for "fancy" dinners, we sometimes put chicken broth in the fondue pot, and then people cook their own meat and veggies. at the end, i break an egg in the broth and we have egg drop soup to finish. when they kids were younger, i would precook the bits of chicken so that they were really heating rather than cooking the meat. (it didn't take as long and i didn't worry about cooking time, kwim?) hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Why not try some new soups? I think soups are a good way of branching out, and the weather here is getting cold enough to really enjoy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 Great ideas! I do need to venture into other food cultures. I love most of them. I do Thai quite a bit but I'm sick of it. Indian sounds nice. And Mexican. Yum. SOUP! How could I not think of soup? I did have a creamy cauliflower soup a week or so ago but it was not a hit. Veggie soup is good. Maybe a beef veggie soup should be next on the list. Off to look for dairy and potato-free soup. Thanks for the suggestion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnold Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I like paleo bread (lots of recipes available online) toasted with smashed avocado on it, and a poached egg on top of it, with salsa. Makes a nice breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Smoked fish really works for me. You could steam lots of vegetables, then stir in flaked poached smoked fish (mackerel is oily and mixes well into everything). Squeeze some lemon over and you are done. Steamed eggplant is good, if dressed with lots of garlic, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Oh - tagines! There is a seven veg tagine that I love. Skip the couscous for now - just enjoy the veggies and (if you want) meat. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Wish I could help. Cooking paleo killed my love of cooking. I used to be quite the chef. Now I loathe my kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I like paleo bread (lots of recipes available online) toasted with smashed avocado on it, and a poached egg on top of it, with salsa. Makes a nice breakfast, lunch, or dinner. AMDG MMmmmmm, one of our favorite meals and I am actually waiting for the water to boil right now! We will actually be having roasted garlic spread on toast, then topped with spread of mashed avocado, topped with roasted onions, and then the egg. mmmmmmm! Hurry up, water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Awww really?! You should get yourself some Paleo cookbooks or something. That's what I did with LC. I bought a bunch of cookbooks. I'm the same way. I love to cook. So not being able to experiment in the kitchen is way too depressing! It was the anxiety and having to overthink everything I ate. And now I have an ulcer and everything hurts my stomach, so food sucks. :lol: I'm not Paleo anymore, anyway. The food anxiety is 90% why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 AMDG Yes, that looks like a challenging range of foods to stay within. However, when I start getting really sick of cooking, I begin to notice that I'm not getting enough help in the kitchen after supper. It isn't so much the cooking but the cooking AND cleaning. Maybe that is part of it? As for meals, I'm a veg so I don't have many ideas but I do recommend the library for cookbooks. I like to try before I buy and will checkout quite a few before I actually make a purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Why not try some new soups? I think soups are a good way of branching out, and the weather here is getting cold enough to really enjoy them. Yes! Kimberly Harris's book "Ladled: Nourishing Soups for all Seasons," is a great resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Soups are great on Paleo... if you need a thickener, xantham gum and corn starch work alright (though corn isn't Paleo). Stews are awesome. Stuffed peppers (I use grated cauliflower as rice, works well and gives you that grainy texture) I have 'taco salads', which is pretty much all the insides other than beans mixed together with guac... the rest of the family will eat regular tacos. Stuffed chicken/pork can be very tasty. Bacon wrapped anything... green beans, asparagus, chicken, scallops... Curries are awesome... with coconut milk. Grated cauliflower as rice if you're not eating rice, or it's tasty with no starch at all also. Paleo burgers (no bun) are awesome. We've done portabella mushrooms as buns, as well as plain lettuce. Tastier with a little mayo (I make a homemade one) or guacamole. Salads with vinegar dressings. Winter time we tend to transition to lots of soups and stews, they're nice and easy too cuz you can crockpot the majority of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 If you are interested in Indian, I highly recommend the 660 Curries cookbook. It is not paleo, but many of the recipes are easily adaptable if they don't fit the guidelines. The recipes are not overly complicated, although there's a bit of a ramp up as you get used to cooking with whole spices. There are some particularly lovely veggie recipes, both as mains and sides. Chilis - my family jokes that I have a chili recipe for every week of the year - Cincinnati style, buffalo chili, white chili, vegetarian chili, pumpkin chili. I always leave out the beans bc my husband doesn't eat them, but I also add extra veggies - red peppers, zucchini, and corn have all been nice additions to more traditional recipes. I also always keep what my family calls "beef shreds" in the freezer. Basically I use my food processor to shred veggies (great for bottom of the fridge veggies that are almost done) and saute them with one pound of beef plus seasonings. The best ratio seems to be 5 cups of shredded veggies and 3-4 tbsp seasoning to a pound of beef. Divided in half, it fits perfectly into two quart size ziplocks for the freezer. Vegetables that work well shredded have been zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, any kind of squash. I will add mushrooms, onions, or peppers, too, but these work better chopped by hand. I vary the spices based on what veggies I'm using. Serving suggestions: - topped with eggs and baked as a frittata - as a taco salad - stuffed in a pepper or an acorn squash - topping a sweet potato - mixed with tomato sauce for topping pasta (your family) or spaghetti squash - baked topped with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower (or a combo) similar to a shepherd's pie I also use the leftover shredded veggies to make veggie fritters. Even my pickiest eaters will eat their vegetables fried in pancakes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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